"8. Guys who dribble a ball for a couple of hours a game can make up to $20 million a year. We educate future leaders and make about $51,000 a year."

First, there are a LOT of law-school grads that don't even make that the first few years after passing the bar. Plenty of fresh engineers would LOVE to be making $51K, or working AT ALL.

Second, It's called the free-market, sweetheart. If you were 6'9", with long arms, mad hops and a killer J, there would be somebody willing to pay you that kind of scratch. But alas, you aren't.

Instead, you decided to go into a field that requires one of the least demanding degrees, is LOADED with free-time, to include summer's off, and has virtually ZERO risk for poor performance. It's that simple. Unlike the baller - who theoretically has to perform or get get cut (or benched), you get the same old same old, irrespective of how well you do, or don't do your job. This is probably why you also don't want standardized testing.

I just wanted to add—I guess I just found that line about “no more mugs or frames” really irritating. The article is so cynical.

I’ve never had a bad experience like that. In fact, I wrote a letter to the editor about an amazing thing my daughter’s teacher did last year—she made individual photo albums for all the kids in her class, with pictures from the entire year and a page with all her friends’ signatures. She really went above and beyond, and wrote us a nice thank-you for our gift to her, a bubble bath kit.

12
posted on 09/08/2010 9:46:40 AM PDT
by proud American in Canada
(my former tagline "We can, and we will prevail" doesn't fit with the usurper's goals.)

Yesterday, a mom wrote me about a private conversation I had with the divorced dad, and his opinion of the new boyfriend.

The dad actually took one of my comments out of context to mess with her ex-wife’s head. Ex-wife, putting the opinion of the boy’s CUBMASTER in high regard, begged me to dish my opinion of the boyfriend, because she was about to take the next step with him.

I got another call at midnight once from the stoned dad of another kid, who lied about the father of another boy in the Pack, telling me he’s running whores out of his house, and dealing drugs. None of it was true, but why a CUBMASTER?

The integrity of the social fabric of this country is in tatters right now, at least in WA state.

Our state has the lowest church attendance rate in the US. I can tell you that its showing.

What is BS? I was a teacher and would agree with everything said here.

Earlier this year, a teacher told me that the last two months of school are a complete waste. They spend most of March teaching kids how to take the big state tests in April. April is Test Month and Spring Break,and by then, the school year is basically over! She said there’s no point in beginning major study units in May because of all the end-of-the-year activities. Three months all but lost due to the emphasis placed on standardized testing. Now THAT’s BS!

If the teacher is not a member of the NEA, then its probably a valid point.

But if he/she is a member, then he/she is part of the problems that made standarized testing the first attempt at a solution. Take it up with your union - the one that does everything possible to prevent actual education from happening in the classroom while simultaneously being one of the largest political action groups in the country and then we can talk about standardized testing.

If schools were still small, neighborhood centers of learning there would be no need for teachers’ unions and all the other distractions that intrude upon this very special relationship: students, teachers & parents.

2. Im not a marriage counselor. At parent-teacher conferences, lets stick to Dakotas progress, not how your husband wont help you around the house.

In addition, no I can't tell you have to get little Johnny up, nor am I able to call him at 6:30 in the morning to remind you and him to get up.

3. Were sick of standardized testing and having to teach to the test.

You better believe it.

5. When I hear a loud belch, I remember that a students manners are a reflection of his parents'

This was illlustrated at my back to school night when the parent of a student walked in my door and let loose a 5 second belch. His wife giggled, the son high-fived him, and go figure, the son repeated the same act the next day during school.

8. Guys who dribble a ball for a couple of hours a game can make up to $20 million a year. We educate future leaders and make about $51,000 a year.

I've been teaching for almost 15 years and 51k is still well off in my future.

You think teaching is easy? Are you insane?! It’s not just hard, it’s IMPOSSIBLE! I’d rather work in a factory for 70 hours a week.

You don’t just stick 30 kids in a room and explain the ABCs, you bear the entire weight of the community and it’s endless problems on your shoulders. Unless the teacher doesn’t care about the kids...then it’s a breeze.

24
posted on 09/08/2010 9:54:11 AM PDT
by Soothesayer
(None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license...")

That’s a serious problem, and I don’t know what to do either. I suspect that some level of “public school” is unavoidable, but anyone who possibly can would try to seek an alternative. One problem today is that the government actively works to make the alternatives difficult so that most people just default back on public schooling. I’d think to see that reversed.

"They spend most of March teaching kids how to take the big state tests in April."

Listen to what you're saying. The test isn't the problem, the problem lies with the teachers and the school administrators who allow the time to be spent the way it is.

The taxpayer has not only the right, but the obligation to inspect what they expect. And, what they expect is that the teachers are teaching. The ONLY way to do that is to test the fruits of the teacher's alleged labor. That is accomplished with testing - which shouldn't be called testing, but inspecting.

My wife has been an educator for 25-years. She's a professor of English. She rants, especially this time of year - the start of the school year - about how criminally unprepared her incoming students are - almost incapable of writing anything longer than a tweet. BUT, the students sure know it's ok for little Suzie to have two mommies.

If teachers spent more time teaching, and less time social engineering, the end of the year testing wouldn't be a problem, for anyone.

12. We love snow days and three-day weekends as much as your kid does.

No kidding? And teacher's conferences in Atlantic City during the school year, and professional days, and instead of having Columbus Day off we take the week before Columbus day just to make it hard on you, and November might as well be a month off with all of the BS days off, and tons of half days at the end of the year, etc...

Amen to that. I have worked in public education for over 25 years and don’t make a lot of money. But, since my salary comes from tax payers, I should NOT make a lot of money. Come on educators, get your head out of the clouds and stick to educating children.

And the reason for standardized tests is to INSURE that students know and understand basic information. Why is that so hard to understand?

4. Kids used to go out and play after school and resolve problems on their own. Now, with computers and TV, they lack the skills to communicate. They dont know how to get past hurt feelings without telling the teacher and having her fix it.

They didn't always hit upon the right resolution.

Also, when kids are being sexually abused, they are instructed to tell an authority figure, like a teacher.

Don't want to "fix it", find a job that does not carry authority and social work.

I'm sure managers didn't take the job to resolve disputes between coworkers either.

The ideal solution would be much like the original church-affiliated schools. Everyone pitched in - usually with at least one professional teacher. Home-schoolers could accomplish the same thing if there were enough children and funding in a limited area to support a facility. Sadly, there would be too many Federal, STate & local regulations.

A little pespective: I am a teacher and I am in the process of moving. I have so many little gifts, candles, etc. that are special but require lots of boxes. :) My most cherished possession is the big, think purple folder in which I keep every letter written to me by a student or parent. On those cold, dreary winter days, I get a hot cup of coffee and read each one of those letters and reflect on the writer.

3. Were sick of standardized testing and having to teach to the test.

You better believe it.

I have long wondered why teachers complain about this aspect of their jobs. I mean, if a kid is being tested on grammar, doesn't teaching to the test mean a child will be taught subject verb agreement, correct usage of pronouns, etc.?

I'm not trying to be snarky. I'd like a real explanation for why teaching to the test bothers teachers so much. I hear the complaint all the time.

#10 is SO TRUE! (kids dish on your secrets)
My aunt taught Kindergarten for 27 yrs. and had more juicy gossip available to her than anyone else in town!

So is #2. Not just for teachers. Years ago I had a job selling retail electronics, and I was amazed how many couples would wait until they were 3 feet away from me across a counter before having their marriage-ending argument about whether they really needed to buy this thing or not.

What’s on the standardized tests that you’re not teaching the information that’s going to be covered on them all year? Why do you have to specifically concentrate on covering that information the month before the test?

3. Were sick of standardized testing and having to teach to the test.

Tough - that is the requirement. We as parents are required by law to supervise our children and to provide an education. To do that, we need to know not only how our childern perform but how the teachers and schools perform as well. Quit complaining and do the job you have been paid to do.

9. We take on the role of mother, father, psychologist, friend, and adviser every day.

Then you are not doing your job. You are there to teach and NOT be a mother or father or psychologist to my child.

Unlike some homeschoolers, I don’t mind standardized tests as it gives me a snapshot of what my kids have retained.

However, I never prep them for it or teach towards it. I teach, they learn. If they learned it well, it shows on the test.

In GA, we only have to test every 3 years, and in my experience that has been enough. There have been several studies showing most of these children who are “behind” in K-2 usually catch up by 4th grade anyway.

Might be fun to come up with ‘13 Things a Student’s Parents Won’t Tell You’

Standardized testing is different than assessment testing. Standardized testing has been around for decades. Assessment testing is the new kid on the block and what (most) teachers detest.

Which is fine with me. The reason politicians started down the road of assessment tests is because the teaching establishment abdicated their main responsibility of actually teaching kids in favor of making sure no kid had self-esteem issues. Curriculum was dumbed down, down, down, to the point where huge numbers of kids were graduating high school without knowing even the most basic things.
Assessment tests were mandated in an attempt to get teachers back on track.

>>"8. Guys who dribble a ball for a couple of hours a game can make up to $20 million a year. We educate future leaders and make about $51,000 a year." > >Second, It's called the free-market, sweetheart. If you were 6'9", with long arms, mad hops and a killer J, there would be somebody willing to pay you that kind of scratch. But alas, you aren't.

The best subject to illustrate the 'teaching to the test' issue is with history. Let's say that the kids are being tested on American History, spanning from the mid 1600's to present. Of course you cover everything in order, making sure the kids learn it, but the test is given in early June. At some point, the teacher will feel it necessary to go back and review what was done 1st semester. Then, because they don't know what questions and dates will be asked, they review all the dates. Then review the major events, then the major people, then help the kids have a visual time line to know what was happening at the same time and how it affected the country 50 years later.

The other challenge is that all the kids take the same test, including those that are mild to moderately disabled, learning disabled, autistic, emotionally disturbed, and/or disadvantaged in a variety of ways. Schools are now up to needing close to 100% passing now (I think the goal is 88% this year) so even have 87% passing in one or more subgroups labels the entire school as failing. It's nerve-wracking.

Luckily for me, I teach reading, so that cramming session doesn't happen for me. But I do see others go through it.

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